Flames of Suzaku
by Sekhimet
Summary: Upon the infiltration of the Akatsuki into Konoha, Itachi reveals something that forces Sakura to question herself and her family.
1. The Infiltration

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters, so don't sue me.

_**Chapter One: The Infiltration**_

"What do you mean, they only have seven? Why'd they stop at seven?"

"We're not sure, Hokage-sama, but it seems they're headed here yet again. I don't know why that would be, because there's only one member who might have the slightest amount of interest in someone here, and I doubt he'd come back just for that. Unless they're trying to get you again."

"Alright then. Take twelve of your ANBU, and have them guard the gates. I want this village protected, dammit, and nobody is going to harm it!" The Hokage's fist slammed on the desk as he stood up, his cerulean eyes blazing. The ANBU in front of him saluted, before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Sighing, the Hokage slumped back in his chair, his brow furrowed in thought as he considered all the possibilities.

Uzumaki Naruto had finally reached his dream of becoming Hokage, the most respected shinobi in Konohagakure, but it wasn't anything like he'd imagined it. Swamped with paperwork, reports, tapes, crime evidence, Naruto was a mess. He had been trying, for the last three months, to organize several different departments, something like the ANBU, to handle things that weren't diplomatic, but he had been unsuccessful. Thus far, his biggest supporters were his wife, Hyuuga Hinata, and the ANBU medic, Haruno Sakura. Both women were extremely smart and managed to help him tackle his projects during their free time, but that time was slimming down further and further as events were being set into action. Even Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Kakashi were on too many S-ranked missions to help problems in the village.

But if the Akatsuki were on the move... well, Naruto was worried. He knew how powerful its members were, and at a ripe young age of twenty-five, he knew better than to fight them without carefully executing a plan first. Uchiha Itachi especially was one to be careful around, and most certainly not one to underestimate. With that man, you had to be prepared to die or get seriously hurt in the process of defeating him, if you could even manage that. Groaning, Naruto reached for the two files at the bottom of his drawer, two files he hoped he'd never have to look at again. The labels were scrawled somewhat messily, but he knew his own handwriting.

_Uchiha Itachi_. The first of the two had a a nice thick report in it, but Sakura had been kind enough to condense it into two pages for him.

_Jinchuuriki_. The second of the two simply had a list of the known Jinchuuriki and their Bijuu, including those that were extracted by the Akatsuki. In fact, it was a report by one of the Akatsuki to carry back to their leader; ANBU from Sunagakure had caught him and managed to make copies of the report to send to the other Kage's, courtesy of Gaara. Misha, the Akatsuki in question, commited sepukku before she could be interrogated. Leafing open the report, Naruto's eyes scanned the list as he tried to understand what exactly was going on.

**Ichibi (Shukaku)-** Extracted from Sabakuno Gaara by Sasori and Deidara

**Nibi (Nekomata)- **Extracted from Kumono Yugito (deceased) by Hidan and Kakuzu

**Sanbi (Genbu)-** Extracted from (unidentifiable) (deceased) by Deidara and Tobi

**Yonbi (Sokou)-** Extracted from (unidentifiable) (deceased) by Deidara and Tobi

**Gobi (Hokou)- **Extracted from Yumi Inumaru (deceased) by Hidan and Kakuzu

**Rokubi (Raiju)- **Extracted from Hamasaki Raiden (deceased) by Hidan and Kakuzu

**Nanabi (Unknown)-**

**Hachibi (Hachimata)-** Extracted from Mamotaro Kojiki (deceased) by Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame

**Kyuubi (Youko)-** Not yet extracted from Uzumaki Naruto

Grumbling, Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, trying to visualize who could possibly be the Nanachibi Jinchuuriki, and what Nanabi even was.

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Meanwhile, Sakura had gathered her ANBU and dispersed them throughout the perimeter. Sakura herself was hiding in a tree, her tiger ANBU mask pulled over her face and her long pink locks held back in a braid. Fingering her radio, she pressed a button and spoke quietly into it.

"We're in position, Hokage-sama. Nobody's getting past us." Naruto's voice came back a little fuzzy to her as he replied from his own radio.

"Good job, Sakura-chan." Sakura scowled before returning her focus to the road. She double-checked her position, then made sure the other ANBU had concealed their chakra well enough for her not to sense it, then held perfectly still on her tree branch.

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Several hours later, the sun was setting, casting a fiery glow across Konohagakure, and Sakura was getting sore. No traffic except for merchants, and only three at that. However, the sudden sound of one of her companion's voices came through the radio, making her jump a bit.

"Haruno-san! They're here! On the west side of... Haruno-san, they're in your house!" Growling, Sakura muttered a curse before she replied.

"All units, to the Haruno home! And don't you dare let them break anything!" Dashing in the direction of her house, the pink-haired kunoichi scowled.

_What could they possibly want in my house?_

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**Author's Note: **I know that the Jinchuuriki have yet to be revealed, as well as most of the Bijuu, but I'm only speculating here. Most of the Jinchuuriki are made up by myself, but almost all of the Akatsuki members aren't. I hope you enjoyed this chapter; it's my third fic thus far, and I intend to follow through with this one. Reviews are greatly appreciated, and constructive criticism is more than welcome! Thank you!


	2. The Encounter

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_**Chapter Two: The Encounter**_

As soon as Sakura entered her house, kunai brandished, she swore beneath her breath. Her whole house was in a state of disarray; furniture had been overturned and the curtains yanked down, the kitchen had been raided and food was everywhere, and her closet had been yanked free of its contents. Her axe lay beneath many of the coats and uniforms there, and she bent momentarily to grab it, her eyes still scanning the room.

"Haruno-san, there's two in the training room! We've got them surrounded!" Tenten's voice came over her radio, and Sakura angrily fumbled with it, standing with her axe in hand.

"Be careful, Tenten! Don't underestimate the Akatsuki or you'll be killed!"

"Exactly, Haruno-san. We know, yeah." Sakura's eyes widened as a familiar, yet strange voice came across the radio that she knew didn't belong to any of the ANBU. Leaping into the center of the room and spinning around, she could only watch in horror as the ANBU that had been behind her transformed with a puff of smoke; the man's blonde hair swished and his Akatsuki cloak rustled very slightly as he did so. His bangs covered one of his eyes, and the obnoxious smirk he wore on his face could only belong to one man.

"Deidara!" The name came as a hiss from the pink-haired kunoichi, and she gripped her axe a little tighter, bracing herself. Deidara chuckled, holding out his upturned palm to reveal a tiny clay spider.

"Just try anything and my beautiful artwork will make your face into a lovely sculpture of texture and blood. Now just listen to what we have to say, yeah?" As he spoke, two other Akatsuki emerged from the room next to her, and one from the back door. She couldn't tell who they were, because her eyes were trained entirely on Deidara, but she scowled anyways.

"What have you done with my men?" A throaty chuckle came from her left, and Sakura's head jerked in its direction as she heard two more people coming from upstairs. Kakuzu waved his hand nonchalantly, as if brushing her off.

"Hey, don't worry about them, eh. We just knocked them out for a while, but they had cash on them so I raided 'em too." The figure next to him shook his head, but otherwise remained silent. Hidan had never approved of Kakuzu's greed for money, but he had his own quirks. Lowering his head, he closed his eyes and began to pray, mumbling something Sakura couldn't understand.

"Oy! Don't you ever knock that off? We're on an important mission, yeah?" Deidara's sharp remark brought Sakura's focus back on him, and she began to back away slowly. She bumped into the Akatsuki behind her, and found herself caught, with Tobi's powerful arms wrapped around her faster than she could move away. Struggling, Sakura looked to her right as she heard another chuckle, but this one was rougher, deeper than the last.

"Fiesty one, aren't you? You're just like the Kyuubi brat." Kisame's voice sounded throughout the house, and Sakura growled. Instinctively, she made an attempt to bite Tobi's arm, but to no avail; she couldn't move anything except for her legs and head, and that did her virtually no good at this point.

"What do you want with me? If you're just trying to get Naruto..."

"Of course not, Haruno-san. But of course, you don't know, do you?" Deidara gave her a small look of surprise before turning to his companions, smirking.

"I think we should tell her, but not here, yeah?" Kisame and Kakuzu both smirked at the young woman, chuckling darkly. Sakura's eyes widened as she felt Tobi's arms tighten, forcing the air out of her lungs, and Kisame moved out of her range of vision. Suddenly, Sakura was released from Tobi, and she fell on her hands and knees, gasping for air.

"Why you- aa!" Sakura's cry rang out as Kisame quickly knifehanded her at the nape of the neck, and she fell forward, unconscious, her axe barely touching her hand. Turning her limp form with his foot, Kisame smirked and picked her up, hoisting her over his shoulder.

"Remind me again why we're not just extracting her immediately, Itachi?" The Uchiha in question moved further down from the stairs, casting a glare in his partner's direction.

"I want her to know why we're doing it, that's why. I've been given permission to do so."

"Right then, let's head back to the base. Boss is waiting; he wants to see her before we actually perform the extraction, yeah?" Deidara smirked and calmly walked behind Tobi, who turned to follow him. The giant clay bird awaited them outside, well hidden among the trees as Deidara and Tobi mounted it, before flying off. Heaving a sigh, Kakuzu also left through the backdoor, but began to rn among the trees instead. Hidan followed suit, having finished his prayer, leaving Itachi, Kisame and Sakura. Itachi frowned when Kisame began to laugh, his arm wrapped around Sakura's legs.

"Hey, Itachi-san, how long's it been since you got laid?"

"Shut up." Itachi's remark cut across coldly, and Kisame continued to chuckle, walking out back to the forest.

"Whatever you say, Itachi-san."

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Sakura's head was pounding when she woke up, but she didn't bother to open her eyes. She was too afraid to open them, but she was forced to do so as she felt someone poke the lump on the back of her head. Yelping in pain, Sakura spun around, glaring at the offender and snarling. Kisame crouched next to her, grinning, his finger still in the position to poke her again.

"You!" Sakura's shout rang through the tiny, dimly lit room, and she lunged at the Akatsuki, only to find herself jerked back unceremoniously. It wasn't until then that she realized her hands were bound in chakra-woven restraints. Kisame burst out laughing as Itachi entered the room, the Uchiha quirking an eyebrow as he stood in the doorway.

"Kisame, the boss said we're to begin in a week. He's still trying to get Orochimaru's ring back, as a final test before we try again for Kyuubi."

"What are you talking about! You're gonna leave Naruto alone, you hear me!" Sakura's angry yells made Itachi rather irritated, and he gave her a look of disdain.

"We will, until we're finished with you." The kunoichi's eyes widened and she backed against the wall, her knees pulled to her chest as her arms wrapped protectively around them.

"What do you mean? What're you going to do...?" Itachi smirked, shutting the door behind him as he sat on the tiny bed across from Sakura. Kisame grinned and sat as well, though he remained next to the woman. There was a long silence, and Sakura's patience was rather slim. As she opened her mouth to demand he tell her, Itachi spoke, his sultry tone ringing through her ears.

"You're the Jinchuuriki of Nanabi."

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**Author's Note: **Forgive me, this chapter's really confusing... but it gets better, I promise! I got my first comment, and I suppose my readers want to know the main pairings. There's only two, and I'm giving you only one for now: Sakura/Sai.


	3. The Revelation

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_**Chapter Three: The Revelation**_

"I... what?"

Sakura's composition fell entirely at that moment. There was no possible way she could hold a Bijuu within her. She had none of Naruto's immense strength or nearly limitless chakra reserves. The only thing possibly extraordinary about her was her promotion to ANBU captain at the age of eighteen and her cast knowledge of medical jutsus. Itachi merely chuckled at her, while Kisame began to laugh heartily.

"Didn't you ever think it was strange, that you became an excellent medic so fast? Didn't you feel that it was a little odd, that you were more _drawn_ to my younger brother than was normal?" Itachi's words were mocking, amused, and he looked at her with cold eyes. There was no mirth in them.

"Yes, but... I... I mean..." Sakura stammered, her face flustered. Steeling herself, she glared up at the Uchiha.

"How is that any business of yours?" Itachi waved a dismissive hand at her, smirking.

"Let me explain. I have no interest whatsoever in your silly little relationships, but what I'm about to say is merely a statement of fact. We were able to track you down once we narrowed down the identity of your Bijuu to two candidates. Because there was no mention of Makumori in any of the village records, and we were able to find mention of Suzaku, the Seven-Tailed pheonix, it became rather easy to piece two and two together. It originated in the Land of Fire, and had been captured, not by the Hokage, but by the three strongest shinobi in Kusagakure. Because it is so small, Kusagakure has no Kage, as I'm sure you know. However, they managed to capture it as Konoha's focus was on Kyuubi, even though Kyuubi wasn't sealed until long after Suzaku, and remained fairly unnoticed. The Nanabi was sealed within Haruno Mokuto, your great-grandfather. Because he was not a shinobi, Mokuto never manifested Suzaku's powers, nor would any after him. Bijuu cannot prolong life, so when your grandmother was born, Suzaku was transferred to her through DNA; how, we're not entirely sure, but Suzaku has been passed down the bloodline to you. The chances of that happening were actually quite slim, so we had to narrow the candidates that could possibly hold Suzaku down to you."

Reeling at this enormous amount of information, Sakura found herself unable to speak. There was a long, drawn out silence, broken only by her timid voice as she finally ventured.

"That's not possible. I'm a shinobi, too; if Suzaku never manifested himself before because my family were not shinobi, why hasn't he revealed himself in me?" Itachi heaved a sigh, then gestured to Kisame, who spoke gruffly as if on cue.

"Because you've never been in a truly life-threatening situation. Suzaku doesn't like to fight; therefore, he will avoid manifestation unless he is absolutely certain his Jinchuuriki would be killed. This hasn't happened with you yet, but we don't need it to because we know you're the Jinchuuriki."

"And how do you know that? And how did I manage to get through with a normal life? Naruto never had one, and neither did Gaara." Itachi spoke again, his cold laughter now in his eyes.

"Because we've killed all the other descendents of Haruno Mokuto, and none of them had Nanabi. To answer your second question, your great-grandparents moved to Konohagakure. Suzaku had already been passed to Haruno Saya, and the ANBU didn't bother to check the child for anything suspicious."

"But why-"

"Enough!" Itachi cut Sakura's next question off, his words sharp like his katana.

"I grow tired of your questions. I thought that maybe you'd like to be filled in as to why you're going to die, as a sort of last courtesy, but I'm not answering anything more." With that, he stood and strode out of the room, with Kisame at his heels, while Sakura was left to digest this new revelation.

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"So she's been captured." The Hokage's voice was restrained, almost as if he were trying to hold back the sea with his thumb. Which, in a sense, he was doing. The six ANBU before him backed away in fear; Naruto yelling was far less fearsome than Naruto holding it back. Uchiha Sasuke stood next to the Hokage, his glare looking as if it could freeze Hell over as he stared the ANBU down. Having just returned from a mission, Sasuke was mentally tearing apart the office, blaming himself for not having stopped the Akatsuki that, for all he knew, were only yards away from him as he was dashing through the forest. Kakashi was doing the same, but he had long since returned home, exhausted.

"Leave us." Sasuke's command came short and cold, and the ANBU hastened to obey, sparing no time in their disappearance. Naruto and Sasuke glanced at each other, mutual understanding and silent communication between them the kind only brotherly closeness could bring. Sakura was kidnapped by the Akatsuki, and there had to be a reason. What that was, they could only surmise as bait for Naruto, or even for Sasuke set by Itachi, or possibly both. But the both of them knew they couldn't leave the village; Naruto, as Hokage, had incredibly important business, such as meetings, and couldn't actively fight anybody except as sparring or when the village was directly threatened. Sasuke, as the head of the hunter-nin, had many missing-nin to kill and couldn't afford to leave the village (or any other village, for that matter) vulnerable to attack from any one of them, or leave them to give up their secrets.

"Bring Sai in here, and tell him to be ready for a mission. As much as I'd love to wring the Akatsuki myself, now isn't the time for that and we simply need to get Sakura-chan back." Naruto still called Sakura that, much to her disdain, but it had stuck for years and wasn't going away anytime soon, even though he was married to Hinata. Luckily for him, she didn't mind.

Sasuke disappeared in a puff of smoke, and moments later, returned with a very disgruntled ANBU member. Yanking off his mask, Sai stood with his arms crossed, furious about having been jolted from his nap.

"What now? I was trying to sleep... thanks to you, I haven't slept for days."

"Shove it up your ass, Sai. We need you to infiltrate the Akatsuki base in Kawa no Kuni. We don't know the exact position; you are to find the base, infiltrate it, and recover Haruno Sakura. She's unlikely to be watched, as we're sure she's only bait, but excercise caution anyways." Sai's eyebrows shot into the air, his demeanor changed entirely.

"So Sakura's kidnapped by the Akatsuki... something tells me it's more than bait. However, I'll be ready to leave as soon as dawn."

"Good. And Sai?"

"Yes?"

"Don't screw this up and get all lovey-dovey, alright? Sakura-chan is a pretty no-nonsense woman; try anything with her and you're a dead man." Sai merely chuckled as he smiled, disappearing without another word. Sighing, Naruto leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. Sasuke gave him a smirk, then snickered.

"You honestly think he'd try something?"

"I dunno. He might; Sakura-chan _is_ a woman, after all, and a dangerous one at that. Even I know that."

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**Author's Note: **Thanks to **Ziggy** for pointing out my error with "Shachibi." In my defense, though, I did know this; however, as I was reading a Wikipedia article on the Bijuu, it called Nanabi Shachibi instead; at that point, I just figured 'Eh. Maybe it's seven in a different Japanese dialect or something?' Don't mind me, I'm stupid. But I've fixed it. Also, in response to **ShadowSessMarlfox: **Nanabi is the seven-tailed Bijuu; its identity is unknown as of yet. However, for my own purposes I've made the Nanabi into what it is now. Plus, the reason I chose Suzaku as the seven-tailed beast instead of the bat or the badger, is that the Jinchuuriki tend to look like their Bijuu (Naruto's fox whiskers, Gaara's tanuki eye circles, Yugito's slanted catlike eyes). So, I decided that if Sakura were a Jinchuuriki, that would be her Bijuu because of her overall appearance- slender, graceful, with pink hair like a softened flame. You know? Good.


	4. The Beginnings of Losing

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters.

_**Chapter Four: The Beginnings of Losing**_

Sai was none too excited about leaving for another mission, but he packed anyways before going back to sleep. As dawn broke, he strode briskly to the gates, where Sasuke and Naruto stood waiting for him. It was a cool morning, with just a little mist over the sleepy village, and birds calling overhead already. Sai smiled inwardly; this was why he loved his village so much. It was so peaceful, and so calm. Sasuke also smiled inwardly, but Naruto was grinning outwardly. Walking to Sai, he clapped the ANBU on the back, laughing heartily.

"Alright then, Sai, good luck! Just remember what I said 'bout Sakura-chan!" Suddenly, his expression turned serious, and he lowered his voice, looking very grimly at the other man's face.

"Be careful, Sai. Make sure you bring her back, got it? And avoid the Akatsuki themselves if at all possible." Naruto released him, and Sasuke gave Sai his infamous glare.

"And don't you dare let her get hurt, or so help me I will boil you in toad oil." Naruto raised his eyebrow at Sasuke before turning back to Sai.

"I won't let him do that, Sai, but there will be dire consequences for failing. The only other two medic-nin in the village are either too young or too old, so we need her for more than just old times' sake. Now get moving." Sai nodded, pulling down his ANBU mask over his face and darting into the woods, moving swiftly and silently as the wind. Naruto heaved a sigh, before turning back to Hokage Tower.

"Sasuke, get some sleep. Sai won't be back for a few days, so don't expect Sakura or Itachi to show any time before then." Sasuke glared at the Hokae before striding away briskly, without saying a word. Sakura was like a little sister to him; he was protective of her and indeed, he cared about her very much. Sakura had outgrown her crush on him, so it was easier for him to be open around her, though not as open as he was with Naruto. Muttering darkly, Sasuke stormed into his home, sidestepping and ducking the burglar traps that he, Naruto and Sakura all had memorized.

He didn't think he ever hated Itachi more than he did now.

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"There's still one small detail you left out, you know."

Itachi didn't think he ever wished Sakura dead more than he did now.

"And what question is that, woman?" Itachi had thought, after telling her yesterday that enough was enough, that Sakura would know better than to start something with him today- especially the moment he walked in. Apparently, though, he was wrong.

"You said that I was more attracted to Sasuke than normal. What does that have to do with Suzaku?" Itachi smirked crossed his arms as Kisame entered behind him, yawning.

"Nanabi is naturally drawn to fire, as I'm sure you can guess. The Uchiha clan is the most proficient clan in Konoha when it comes to most things- but, most significantly, when it comes to Katon-style jutsus. Also, because the ability to perform the Goukakyuu no Jutsu is considered a ritual of passing in the Uchiha clan, it has become almost... engrained in our blood. Suzaku knows that." Sakura couldn't resist a stab at the older man, and she smirked, glaring up at him.

"I certainly hope it doesn't apply to all Uchiha, then. I think I'd puke if I were attracted to a pig like you." Kisame let slip a snort of laughter, then covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing. It wasn't that her comment was particularily funny, but nobody had ever, _ever_ insulted Itachi. Nobody had even tried up until now, except for Sasuke, before Itachi joined the Akatsuki. Itachi merely blinked, then smirked back at her, reaching into his cloak and pulling out a box of rice and noodles. Sakura's eyes widened and her stomach gave an audible growl, making Itachi laugh.

"Well, I _was_ going to let you have some of this, but after that remark, I think I'll just eat it all myself." Taking the lid off of the box, Itachi sat down on the bed and began to eat slowly, watching Sakura's horrified expression as he chewed teasingly. After several minutes of this torture, all was gone except for one bite.

"Well now," Itachi commented as he smirked at the kunoichi before him. "I'm soooo full, and this is the laaaast bite... guess I'll finish it off, though." Sakura almost began to beg for the last bite, because she was so hungry; she hadn't eaten since before she began her patrol the day before. However, she could tell this is what Itachi was expecting and she gave him a defiant expression. Itachi noticed this, and without hesitating, he ate the last bite, standing purposefully and striding out of the room. Kisame followed him without a backwards glance at the woman, chuckling.

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Sai had been travelling for most of the day; he was now exhausted, searching for a place to camp for the night. He was almost out of the Fire country; the going had been slow, because he had run into a few missin-nin on the way that he had to take care of. However, now that he could settle down for some food and rest, he was able to think a little more deeply on the situation. He supposed that the only reason he had been chosen for this mission was because Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke had bigger fish to fry, and therefore couldn't rescue their teammate. However, Sai himself was a teammate of hers and therefore the only other candidate that Naruto and Sasuke would entrust her to- even though Sakura hated his guts. Chuckling as he pulled out a roasted fish, Sai remembered how she had helped him with the nicknames, and she had promptly punched him when he called her 'old hag.' Not much had changed since then; he was still a potty mouth, and every time he said something offensive in front of Sakura she would punch, kick, elbow, or knee him in various places. Usually, this was the face, but occassionally her target had moved lower. Much lower.

As he finished his fish, Sai pulled out his sleeping bag and laid it out, flopping onto the top of it unceremoniously. It didn't take long for sleep to claim him, but by the time it did, his cheek was already hurting from thinking about Sakura's fist so much.

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**Author's Note: **Thanks for all the reviews! I'm really surprised I've gotten so many... but they keep me going!

But do you have any idea how hard it is to write the progress when you want to jump straight to the action? But I've made a lot of revisions that you, my readers, have helped me out with. Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.

Also: **Huge thanks to emir**! I completely screwed up. Tobi wasn't the Akatsuki I wanted to kill off in the first chapter, it was a huge error on my part, I'm really sorry! I've edited it; again, please forgive me and my total scatterbrain-ness. I really should write little notes to myself on stickies... Also, if you must know, Misha is simply the name I've given to the unknown (and likely female) Akatsuki member with blue hair.

Also, please forgive the shameless breaks I used to seperate events. I couldn't seem to get the simple lines to work... stupid HTML...


	5. The Taming of the Beast

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters.

_**Chapter Five: The Taming of the Beast**_

It had now been almost four days since Sakura had eaten.

Starving, tired and weak, the kunoichi had refused all of Itachi's attempts to break her spirit. She knew he was toying with her; she would starve to death, making it easier to remove Nanabi, or submit to him, which would give him the satisfaction of torturing her until she was broken in, like a wild horse that had been forced into captivity. Either way, he would win. Now, on the morning of her third day of capture, Sakura was laying on the floor rather than sitting up; Itachi was due any minute with his breakfast. The sound of the doorknob turning heralded his arrival.

"Well well, Sakura, what now? You look awfully hungry." This was the first time he had called her by her first name, but she could really care less at this point. Struggling to sit up, Sakura managed to give him a halfhearted glare, her hair coming loose from its braid and falling in messy strands around her face.

"Just give me the goddamn rice, Itachi." Her voice was ragged, and Itachi smirked as he pulled out the box, the lid already halfway off. He didn't sit on the bed this time; instead he walked to Sakura, holding the box above her head. The smell of the curry that was also in there was making the kunoichi groan and clutch at her stomach desperately.

"You want this? Fine. But you'll have to pay for it."

"Ugh... with what?" Sakura's hand gripped his Akatsuki cloak as she used it to pull herself up, growling darkly. Itachi simply chuckled and held the box higher.

"I want you to fight me, later; it's been a while since I've had any fun. Eat and rest up, because you'll need to be at full strength... if you can beat me."

"Whatever. Just give it here, dammit." Smirking, Itachi gave her the box, and she set it in front of her, trying to hold herself back. If she ate too fast, she wouldn't be able to fight him, but she honestly didn't see how it would matter; she was going to die either in the fight, or he'd just kill her if she refused to participate. Kisame entered, and Itachi left, giving his partner instructions as he did so.

"Make sure she gets to eat enough, and let her rest. If she can't sleep, then make her." Kisame glanced at Itachi, nodding, then shut the door behind him, giving the girl in front of him an almost sympathetic glance. Itachi sure loved his torture methods; sometimes, even Kisame was mortified by them. Sakura simply continued to eat in silence, her only thoughts directed towards Itachi and the amount of kunai she'd love to stick in him.

She couldn't believe what she had been reduced to.

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Sai had finally reached the land of Kawa no Kuni. Now all he had to do was figure out exactly where the Akatsuki base was, and how to get in without being noticed. Already, the rivers and lakes that dotted the landscape were becoming likely suspects that hid the base; even so, he couldn't risk letting his guard down. There were few ninja in Kawa no Kuni, so he wasn't likely to run into one, but the Akatsuki were far too powerful to just try to walk past and hope they didn't notice you. Scowling, Sai crept towards the trees that bordered the land, bumping into a tree behind him. Or, what seemed like a tree, at first. Turning around, the ANBU found himself staring at the gaping mouth of a great, brownish bird- if it could be called that. Leaping backwards in time to avoid being eaten, Sai drew several kunai and threw them at the bird; though the blades stuck into it, the bird didn't even flinch. Its blank, dark eyes stared Sai down as if it could make him as empty as it with those sockets. A cold laugh rang through the air, and Deidara leaped down from his creation's head, smirking.

"So what're you doing here, boy? You looking for the kunoichi, yeah?" Sai scowled, reaching for his kunai pouch; however, he froze as he saw Deidara's smirk grow into a sadistic grin.

"You don't want to do that. My precious little spider is on your shoulder, and one wrong move... your head goes flying, yeah?" Glancing at his shoulder, Sai noticed that, indeed, there was a little clay spider there. It had been dropped on him when he had bumped into the giant bird; Deidara's skill couldn't be questioned when it came to unnoticed death threats.

"Shit... What do you want?"

"You shouldn't be here, boy. Get out, or you're coming with me. I'm sure Zetsu would love to watch you squirm as he eats you alive." Chuckling, Deidara began idly tossing a small lump of clay in the air, catching it with utmost ease.

"I'm not going anywhere. You have my captain." Heaving a sigh, the Akatsuki gave the ANBU an almost disappointed look.

"Ah, too bad. I suppose you're not as smart as you look. Then, I'll just have to dispose of you myself!"

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**Author's Note: **Whew, I'm on a roll here! I can't stop writing this stuff! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! (Sorry it took me so long. I was eyeing someone's DA page trying to get a Kiriban. I know, I know... I'm evil.) However, when I kept getting the review alerts, I kind of went 'Holy crap Batman!' Does this mean this story is REALLY that popular? I'm just trying to make it somewhat believable... O.o


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